(ATR) The sports of Wushu and Sambo expect to be admitted this Thursday by the 37 member federations of the International World Games Association (IWGA).

The IWGA will meet again virtually and secret voting and agenda discussions will take place through the Zoom platform.

"These two sports will make a presentation and then the IF will cast their secret ballot," IWGA president, Spanish José Perurena, reveals to Around the Rings.

If approved, both disciplines would be taken into consideration for the 2026 World Games program in Chengdu, China. The Birmingham, Alabama program is already closed.

However, Wushu can be seen as a "guest" in the 2022 Games since it was one of the four proposals of the US organizers along with American football, women's Lacross and Duathlon.

Nick Sellers, CEO of next year's World Games in Birmingham, updated the progress of preparations as he presented the report from the Organizing Committee.

This Tuesday it was revealed that the Olympic gold medalist Vonetta Flowers has joined the 2022 World Games as an Honorary Co-Chair.

After failing to qualify in track and field for the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics, Flowers, a Birmingham native, switched to bobsled and at the Salt Lake City Olympics in 2002 she became the first African-American athlete to win an Olympic gold medal at the Winter Games.

While at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Flowers became the Blazers' first ever seven-time All-American and racked up 35 Conference USA titles.

In 2011, she was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Flowers joins former NBA Most Valuable Player Charles Barkley and country music star Randy Owen on the current list of Honorary Co-Chairs.

The World Games, with the support of the International Olympic Committee, will celebrate its 11th edition in Birmingham from July 7 to 17, 2022 with 3,600 athletes from some 100 countries in 32 sports expected to participate in the sporting mega-event.

The Birmingham Games were to be held in June 2021 but had to be moved a year due to the change in date of the Tokyo Olympic Games

Birmingham 2022, which marks the 40th anniversary of the event, will run from July 7-17 and are expected, according to organizers, to generate an estimated economic impact of $ 256 million.

"The situation is very positive. The city is very focused on the Games," says Perurena

Homepage photo: World Games 2022

Written and reported by Miguel Hernandez

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